Battle Of Clontarf – Brian Ború Defeats The Vikings

This short documentary gives us an introduction into the lead up to the famous Battle of Clontarf when Irishmen joined together to ostensibly defeat the Vikings who were growing in strength on the island. The colonial Norsemen had assistance from treacherous Irishmen who refused to accept the lordship of the High King, Brian Ború. In this we can see that the fractures within the Irish people that allowed Strongbow and the English entry onto the Emerald Isle were long a problem for the people there.

Internecine rivalries have always been the bane of Ireland. Yet the Battle of Clontarf is an example of what Irish people can achieve when enough of them stand together. The Vikings were a tough bunch, but they fell before the united tribes of Ireland. What else could the people of Ireland achieve if they were stand together today and remove the begrudgery and petty jealousies that plague our storied nation?